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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DH left kids in car

185 replies

eatsleepeatrepeat · 17/04/2023 20:41

DH was driving back from kids club with DC1&2 (7mo & 2yrs) and stopped at the petrol station for a couple of microwave meals & wine for our dinner tonight, leaving both the kids in the locked car. When he came home I presumed he'd taken them in with him, but then I realised he didn't have the double buggy, so he eventually admitted he left them in the car briefly. He said he had eyes on the car the whole time he was in the shop.

We didn't really have an argument over it but I would just never have left them and was horrified he did, if only for a few mins. Am I overreacting?

OP posts:
Daffodil92 · 17/04/2023 20:42

Yes you are. They are fine.

Gymmum82 · 17/04/2023 20:42

Yabu it was a petrol station. I have never in my life taken my kids out of the car when getting petrol

Pashy · 17/04/2023 20:42

They were probably safer in the car than being walked across the forecourt.

knobheadex · 17/04/2023 20:43

I couldn't get worked up about this. They're safer in the car than crossing the forecourt in my opinion.

TobiasForgesContactLense · 17/04/2023 20:43

Do you really get them noth out of the car every time you pay for petrol? If he could see them from the shop then I can't see the problem.

HockeyJock · 17/04/2023 20:43

You're definitely overreacting.

No way would I get 2 small children out and walk them across a forecourt in a petrol station when they're visible the whole time and I'm only going to be a few minutes.

Choccyeggs20 · 17/04/2023 20:43

Yabu it’s fine

ToddlerMumma · 17/04/2023 20:43

You're over reacting. It would have been more dangerous for him to get them both out and across the forecourt than locking them in the car within eyesight

Divorcedalongtime · 17/04/2023 20:43

It would be insane to put them in a double buggy and take them in with him when he was only going to be a couple of minutes…

Tesco express was my friend when my kids were small and often asleep in the car.

Pixiedust1234 · 17/04/2023 20:44

If he could see them at all times and was reasonably close then it was fine. Trying to carry two little ones or strap them into a buggy would have put them more in danger.

LadyFlumpalot · 17/04/2023 20:44

I've never taken mine in with me, I can see the car the whole time and I reckon it would have been more dangerous to wrangle two babies and a pushchair across a forecourt. Be different if he was going into the services and using the loos, but just paying for petrol, I can't see a problem.

ZebraKid71 · 17/04/2023 20:44

I'd never leave them if I was going out of sight like into a supermarket, but in a petrol station you can see them the whole time. Probably more dangerous to trail them across the station into the shop on reality.

BucketList101 · 17/04/2023 20:44

Personally I never did it but it's not the end of the world and certainly nothing to fall out over. My DP did

DanceMonster · 17/04/2023 20:45

I always leave mine in the car when getting petrol.

alyceflowers · 17/04/2023 20:45

No one is going to get a 2 year old and a 7 month old out of the car, take them across a petrol station forecourt, just to be in the shop for 5 minutes!

Echobelly · 17/04/2023 20:45

YABU, it is fine. No one wants to grab 2 tiny children on the spur of a moment, and as others have said there's much more risk (albeit still tiny) to the kids in taking them across the forecourt than leaving them in a locked vehicle for a few minutes.

Original poster
eatsleepeatrepeat · 17/04/2023 20:46

Yeh I thought I may be overreacting that's why I didn't kick up a fuss. FYI, he wasn't getting petrol though, just food and wine (it's like a mini Tesco type petrol station).

Glad I just gave him a funny look!

OP posts:
Youcancallmeirrelevant · 17/04/2023 20:46

Never take kids out of the car in a petrol station

Rumplestrumpet · 17/04/2023 20:46

I didn't leave my kids in the car at that age, I opted for pay at pump instead. I just wasn't comfortable, and you can't genuinely keep your eyes on them the whole time.

But I don't think it's a big deal if your husband did, assuming he was quick and locked the car, it is probably safer.

MuffinToSeeHere · 17/04/2023 20:46

It would be bloody bonkers to get them out of a car in a petrol forecourt, pop up the double buggy, load them in, push them through the card and petrol pumps, take them into the shop and then do the reverse to get them back into the car. Absolutely no one with any sense would do such a thing!

He made the totally logical and most safety conscious decision.

Daisybuttercup12345 · 17/04/2023 20:46

You are being absolutely ridiculous 🙄
This topic has been on here Sooooo many times.
YAWN.

BroomHandledMouser · 17/04/2023 21:00

Jesus wept 🤣🤣🤣

Mumofnarnia · 17/04/2023 21:13

When I read the title I thought you meant he’d left them in the car while he went shopping or to the pub or for a walk!
It was a petrol station fgs!

moonspiral · 17/04/2023 21:14

Sorry but both options are crap. Did you really need a microwave meal and wine? Did you not have any other food in?

Mumofnarnia · 17/04/2023 21:14

MuffinToSeeHere · 17/04/2023 20:46

It would be bloody bonkers to get them out of a car in a petrol forecourt, pop up the double buggy, load them in, push them through the card and petrol pumps, take them into the shop and then do the reverse to get them back into the car. Absolutely no one with any sense would do such a thing!

He made the totally logical and most safety conscious decision.

Yes by the time he got back to the car and got them out of the buggy and strapped back in the car and folded the buggy etc there would probably be a long line of disgruntled drivers all queuing for the petrol pump 🤣